Tampa Prep Students Awarded ‘Athlete of the Week’ Honors

Tampa, Fl. – Jan. 14, 2019 – Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) is delighted to announce Payton Hendrix and Kobe Prince from Tampa Preparatory School as the ‘Athletes of the Week’ for the week ending January 18, 2019.

Hendrix was nominated by Girls’ Basketball Head Coach, Erin Knight, who found true leadership qualities within their team captain.

“Payton is competing in her fifth season with the Varsity Girls’ Basketball team,” Knight said. “She consistently shows the Tampa Bay area what it means to be a Tampa Prep Terrapin. She leads by example, encourages and positively impacts her teammates. I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.”

Nearing the 1,000 points scored milestone, Hendrix also has her focus on preparing a young and upcoming team for their own successes.

“My personal goal is to be a positive role model for my underclassman teammates,” Hendrix said. “We are a young team and the next few years look really promising for Prep. I strive to demonstrate a strong work ethic, outstanding teamwork and positive sportsmanship. I want to look back a year or two from now and know that I contributed to the success of the team for this year and the years to come.”

Prince was nominated by Doug Smith, the Boys’ Soccer Head Coach. Smith recognized the contributions made by the impressive senior star.

“Kobe is a senior leader on our team,” said Smith. “He scored three goals to help us win two big district games. He scored two against Tampa Catholic to put us over 3-1 and he scored one against Clearwater Central Catholic to give us the 2-1 victory.”

As a dedicated athlete and a determined entrepreneur, Prince is motivated by his desire to combine both art and athletics.

“I have infused my love for art into my passion for sports,” Prince said. “This includes my spirit to finish and produce a short film focusing on the life of an innovative athlete. I am planning on executing an exhibition of environmentally sustainable art, fashion and informative photography to market my brand, ‘SIKO’.”

With extensive workloads before them, both Hendrix and Prince advise to keep a level head, push through boundaries and continue moving forward.

“When you have a bad day or an off game, move on from it.” Hendrix said. “Don’t beat yourself up. Reflect for a moment on what you can do better, adjust when you need to and move on.”

Prince followed, “Love and passion allows for a more enjoyable path to achieving my dreams and goals. I can’t progress without failure present along the way and, through that, it makes the process all the more worth it.”

Florida Orthopaedic Institute’s Athlete of the Week campaign is designed to focus on student-athletes, recognizing them for their hard work and dedication both on and off the field. The Athlete of the Week award can be earned by displaying one of the following characteristics:

Team Player: Athletes who are nominated for excellence in team play are chosen by a coach who feels the athlete does his or her best to put direction into action, makes a significant contribution to the team and continuously works to improve his or her skills, attitude and training.

Leadership: Athletes who earn the award in recognition of excellent leadership must exemplify strong relationship building skills, show excellent initiative and serve as role models for his or her peers.

To view last week’s award winners, please follow this link.

Florida Orthopaedic Institute
Founded in 1989, Florida Orthopaedic Institute is Florida’s largest orthopedic group and provides expertise and treatment of orthopedic-related injuries and conditions, including adult reconstruction and arthritis, chiropractic services, foot and ankle, general orthopedics, hand and wrist, interventional spine, musculoskeletal oncology, orthopedic trauma, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, sports medicine, shoulder and elbow, spine and chiropractic services, among others. The organization treats patients throughout its surgery centers in North Tampa and Citrus Park, two orthopaedic urgent care centers in South Tampa and Brandon, and 10 office locations in Bloomingdale, Brandon, Brooksville, Citrus Park, North Tampa, Northdale, Palm Harbor, South Tampa, Sun City Center and Wesley Chapel. For more information, please visit: FloridaOrtho.com and ‘like’ us on Facebook: facebook.com/Florida.Orthopaedic.Institute.